Ed Pagano, center left, owner of The Tennis Club of Trumbull discuss the status of the construction going on with his sons Jason and John, right, during a walk through at the new facility in Trumbull, Conn. on Friday August 19, 2011. A snowstorm this past winter destroyed the old one. less

Ed Pagano, center left, owner of The Tennis Club of Trumbull discuss the status of the construction going on with his sons Jason and John, right, during a walk through at the new facility in Trumbull, Conn. on ... more

John Conti, of Metal Building Restoration, left, goes over construction details with Ed Pagano, owner of the Tennis Club of Trumbull at the new facility in Trumbull, Conn. on Friday August 19, 2011. A snowstorm this past winter destroyed the old one. less

John Conti, of Metal Building Restoration, left, goes over construction details with Ed Pagano, owner of the Tennis Club of Trumbull at the new facility in Trumbull, Conn. on Friday August 19, 2011. A snowstorm ... more

The Tennis Club of Trumbull, in Trumbull Conn. Feb. 2nd, 2011, the morning after the club collapsed under heavy snow.

The Tennis Club of Trumbull, in Trumbull Conn. Feb. 2nd, 2011, the morning after the club collapsed under heavy snow.

Photo: Ned Gerard

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The Tennis Club of Trumbull, in Trumbull Conn. Feb. 2nd, 2011, the morning after the club collapsed under heavy snow.

The Tennis Club of Trumbull, in Trumbull Conn. Feb. 2nd, 2011, the morning after the club collapsed under heavy snow.

Photo: Ned Gerard

Image 8 of 8

Tennis Club of Trumbull to reopen in September

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TRUMBULL -- After its roof collapsed under accumulated snow this past winter, the Tennis Club of Trumbull has been rebuilt and the owners plan to reopen for business on Sept. 8.

The new and upgraded facility has the potential to be one of the best indoor tennis clubs in New England, owner Ed Pagano said.

"The only one that I would think could compare to this is Randall's Island," Pagano said, referring to a tennis facility in Manhattan widely recognized as one of the best in the country.

The new building will have Deco-Turf, a seven-layer cushion surface common on tournament-grade courts. The state-of-the-art lighting system will prevent glare. The walls will be padded, eliminating the need for curtains around the courts. High-definition, high-speed cameras surrounding the courts will allow tennis pros to play back their clients' performances. Better siding will prevent the leaking and wet courts that plagued the last building.

And, of course, the roof was built with extra reinforcements and can support 35 pounds of snow per square foot, a load about 15 percent more than what is legally required. The courts and the building are not connected, so if one of the buildings were to collapse again, the other would be spared.

The snow and sleet came down heavy the morning of Feb. 1, and Pagano and his son, John, who runs the business side of the club, debated closing early. The winter season is normally the busiest one for the club. They decided to close the club at 3 p.m., but a tennis pro gave a private lesson until 6:30 p.m. The roof came down less than an hour after he left. The Paganos know the roof collapsed at 7:26 p.m. because they found a clock that had been hanging on the wall stopped to that time in a snowbank outside.

"It really is a blessing no one got hurt," Ed Pagano said. "We can go into the future with a clear conscience."

The club was built in Trumbull 25 years ago almost to the day construction began on the second building. Only an exterior brick wall and a few beams remain from the original building. Ed Pagano started the club after a long career as a tennis pro himself. John Pagano grew up helping out at the club, and in December decided to leave his job in the financial sector and join the family business. His brother, Jason, is in charge of building maintenance.

On Friday, Ed, his two sons, and his co-owner and wife, Janet, stood in a trailer outside the construction site debating last minute touches, like whether to get a water cooler or rely on town water.

Other new features include a miniature court for kids and a second-level skybox for viewers.